Aklanon language

Aklanon, also called Akeanon or Inakeanon, is a special language spoken by the Aklanon people who live in the province of Aklan on the island of Panay in the Philippines. It belongs to a big family of languages called Austronesian and is part of the Bisayan subgroup. One cool thing about Aklanon is that it has a special sound, a close-mid back unrounded vowel, that is written with the letter ⟨Ee⟩ in words like Akean and Akeanon. This sound is also found in a few other languages far away from each other in the Philippines.

There is also a dialect called Malaynon that is very similar to Aklanon, about 93% the same. One interesting part of Malaynon is that it keeps the "l" sounds, which in many other places are said as "r". This makes the Malaynon dialect unique and interesting to learn about.

Phonology

Aklanon has 21 sounds that make up its words. There are 17 consonants, including letters like p, t, k, and m, as well as special sounds like the glottal stop and the voiced velar fricative. There are six vowels: i, a, and u, which are common in Bisayan languages, plus e and o used in borrowed words. There is also a special vowel sound described as a close-mid back unrounded vowel [ɤ].

The sounds /t͡ʃ/ and /d͡ʒ/ from borrowed words can sometimes sound like palatal stops [c, ɟ]. The sound /l/ can also vary and sometimes sound like [ɫ] or even switch with [d].

Common phrases

Philippine national proverb

Here is the Philippine national proverb in various languages.

• Tagalog: Ang hindi marunong lumingon sa pinanggalingan ay hindi makararating sa paroroonan.
• Akeanon: Ro uwa' gatan-aw sa anang ginhalinan hay indi makaabut sa anang ginapaeangpan.
• Malaynon: Ang indi kausoy magbalikid sa anang hinalinan hay indi makaabut sa anang paayanan.
• Hiligaynon: Ang indi makahibalo magbalikid sang iya ginhalinan, indi makaabot sa iya padulungan.
• English: He who does not look back where he came from, will never reach his destination.

Numbers

Literature

All these poems were written by Melchor F. Cichon, an Aklanon poet.

• "Ambeth". Philippine Panorama, August 14, 1994.
• "Emergency Room". The Aklan Reporter, December 7, 1994, p. 10
• "Eva, Si Adan!" (Finalist Sa Unang Premyo Openiano A. Italia Competition, January 1993, Duenas, Iloilo)
• "Ham-at Madueom Ro Gabii Inay?" Philippine Panorama, March 27, 1994, p. 29. (First Aklanon poem published in the Philippine Panorama), also in The Aklan Reporter, April 6, 1994, p. 8.
• "Hin-uno Pa". The Aklan Reporter, February 23, 1994, p. 8. Also in Ani December 1993, p. 44
• "Inay". Philippine Collegian, October 4, 1973, p. 3 (First Aklanon poem in the Philippine Collegian)
• "Limog sa Idaeom". Ani December 1993, p. 48
• "Mamunit Ako Inay". The Aklan Reporter, December 28, 1994, p. 10
• "Manog-Uling". The Aklan Reporter July 29, 1992, p. 9. Also in Ani December 1993, p. 50
• "Owa't Kaso", Saeamat. Mantala 3:97 2000
• "Ro Bantay". The Aklan Reporter, September 6, 1995, p. 7
• "Competition", March 13, 1998, UPV Auditorium, Iloilo City
• "Sa Pilapil It Tangke". Ani December 1994, p. 46
• "Toto, Pumailaya Ka". Pagbutlak (First Aklanon in Pagbutlak)
• "Welga". Mantala 3:99 2000